Day 32: Be Alert!
“Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming – whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning. Otherwise, when he comes suddenly he might find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!”
Mark 13:35-37
I like sleep, probably a bit too much. Most mornings I hit the snooze button a good few times before I actually get out of my pit. There’s nothing quite like feeling all cosy, snug and comfy under the duvet, and some days it’s a real challenge to leave and get on with the day. In my sleepy haze though, I’ll start thinking about what will be ahead in my day – responsibilities, people, tasks, fun. Remembering what’s ahead helps to wake me up, alerting my sleepy brain and heart into functioning.
In Mark 13 Jesus gives his disciples a picture of what’s ahead to encourage them to be alert and not snooze. The chapter starts with the disciples looking at the temple and gushing over how impressive the building is. Jesus, not for the first time, shatters the disciples’ moment.
“Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another – all will be thrown down.” (v2)
The impressive architecture in front of them, and all that it stood for, would soon be destroyed. This was a huge statement. The temple was the centre of all Jewish religion, but this whole system was about to be replaced. Jesus goes on to paint the picture of the persecution, suffering and tribulation that would come and bring this age to an end. They were to be awake, alert, watch for the signs and act accordingly. Jesus warned them that when it all kicked off they weren’t to fight back, but to run for their lives.
The physical temple was no longer needed. Instead, God’s people needed Jesus. Jerusalem was no longer the centre of worship. Instead, the Gospel was to go to the whole world.
Jesus’ teaching about the future didn’t end there though, he ended by talking about one final day that all his disciples should be ready for.
“Now concerning that day or hour no one knows…” (v32)
Jesus had been talking about ‘those days’ and ‘these days’ when thinking about the end of the temple era – plural days for a period of years when it would all happen. But he finishes by teaching about the singular – ‘that’ day – the end of the age, when Jesus will return. For that day, he doesn’t give them signs to look for, he doesn’t give a time frame of when it might happen, but he does say ‘Be alert!’
Prophecy in the bible is often debated, but all Christians can agree on one thing: Jesus is coming back.
2000 years have passed since Jesus gave his disciples these warnings. The temple has been destroyed, the church has been built across the world, but we still wait for Jesus to come back. We don’t know what the future holds, we don’t know what might happen in our lives today, tomorrow, or the next day. But we can live with the absolute guarantee that one day Jesus will return. He will come back, make all things new and take his people to live with him forever in the sweetest of eternities.
Therefore, Jesus says “Be alert!” His instruction is to be ready, to live expectantly and to not snooze our way through our lives. If we know what’s ahead, then get up and get on with our tasks in hand.
Don’t we often hit the spiritual snooze button though?
Don’t we face a battle every day to get up and get on with living for Jesus?
If Jesus is coming back, let’s be alert and ready for him! If Jesus is coming back, let’s make the most of the time we have today to know him and make him known. If Jesus is coming back, let’s get up from our sleepy haze and live for him.
Passage for today: Mark 13:1-37
A thought to remember: Jesus is coming back, be alert!
A question to ask: How are you tempted to spiritually snooze? What would it look like to wake up, be alert and ready for Jesus coming back?
A song to sing: How Great Thou Art